Shloka 30
अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement
तदस्त्रमस्त्रेण विदार्यमाणं खस्था: सुरा ददृशुः पार्थिवाश्व । भीष्मस्तु राजन् समरे महात्मा धनुश्न चित्रं ध्वजमेव चापि
tad astram astreṇa vidāryamāṇaṃ khasthāḥ surā dadṛśuḥ pārthivāśva | bhīṣmas tu rājan samare mahātmā dhanuś citraṃ dhvajam eva cāpi ||
Sanjaya said: The gods stationed in the sky beheld that missile being torn apart by a counter-missile. But Bhishma, O King, that great-souled warrior in the thick of battle, also struck down the wondrous bow and even the banner as well—showing how, in war, prowess is measured not only by meeting force with force, but by swiftly disabling the opponent’s means and symbols of power.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kshatriya ethic of battlefield competence: force is met with appropriate counter-force (astra against astra), and victory is pursued by disabling the opponent’s capacity and morale (striking the bow and banner). It also frames war as an event witnessed and judged by higher powers, implying accountability beyond mere human spectators.
Sanjaya reports that a launched weapon is neutralized by a counter-weapon, a spectacle even the gods in the sky observe. In the same clash, Bhishma presses his advantage by damaging key martial emblems—specifically the opponent’s bow and banner—intensifying the momentum of the battle.